I can hardly believe I haven’t written about this book/mini-series before, but a search of posts didn’t turn it up for me. So.
#4 Daughter, the amazing Sara Marian, borrowed the book of JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL from the store when she worked at Borders Bookstore, read it, and loaned it to me, upon which I read it, too.
So. Good. It’s not only a wonderful period piece, set during the Napoleonic Wars, it’s also a wonderful alternate history piece, in which magic is real, though in disrepute at the book’s beginning. The plot interweaves the story of a scholarly magician (Mr Norrell) struggling to “make English magic respectable”, an unschooled magician (Jonathan Strange) toying with dangerous and dark magic, the sinister and selfish Fairy King plundering the lives of helpless people, the indomitable courage of women, and the private agenda of … is it The Raven King of old?
So many good characters! My favorite is Childermass, Mr Norrell’s “man”.
Childermass is also my favorite in the mini-series, which Sara and I are rewatching now, but my favorite actor is, of course, Eddie Marsan, who played my beloved Panks in Little Dorrit.
Sara and I each decided we NEED to reread the book but, alas, she had borrowed and returned it. She said she was going to order a copy, but I ordered one last Friday. If she also ordered one, we’ll each have one, which will be all to the good. We’re each like Mr Norrell when it comes to lending books. “Books? You want to … take … my books?” And other people be like Jonathan Strange, “Certainly. Whyever not?”
My nails this week:
My base coat is MoYou London’s Dusty Blue. The fluid art is Dusty Blue, Twinkled T’s the-name-label-came-off white, and Baroness X’s Loco Unicorn fluid polish. The Autumn Days stamp and the pumpkin base color is Maniology’s Indio, the pumpkin lines are Maniology’s Straight Up Black, and the pumpkin stem is Maniology’s Lilypad. The stamping plate is MoYou London’s Fall in Love Collection – 09.
And remember: If you buy something from Maniology, use my discount code of MomGoth10 for 10% off your purchase.
A WRITING PROMPT FROM ME TO YOU: How do you feel about lending books?
MA
Dan Antion
October 25, 2021 at 7:30amI promise to return the book.
Michael Hodges
October 25, 2021 at 9:10amI never read the book, although I quite loved the mini-series and regret that a second season was never released.
Sharing the reading and watching of stories with someone is wonderful! It’s sad, for me at least, that beyond the occasional movie or show with my son I’ve no one to do this with. My own reading speed has diminished through lack of practice and the unfortunately fortunate virtues of aging, while he still reads at the speeds I used to, devouring as much as a novel and a half a day when he isn’t othewise occupied.
I find myself newly amused at your Charlie Chan use of numbering the children. I see it, I laugh, I forget, I see it again. Previews of life in the nursing home, I suppose, where each day is a brand new adventure filled with new friends:
“Hi, I’m Mike!”
“Yes, I know.”
“Are… are you a seer? a wizard, that you know who I am? Is this finally it, the prophecy has come to pass and I am needed? Ogilvie, fetch my cane and the week’s meds! Destiny calls, and we have a quest!”
sigh “Not again…”
“Again? So the feelings were right, all this has happened before, universes opening and closing while our fates remain unchanged. I knew it.”
“Mr. Hodges, some days you are my favorite resident. Others…”
“Ogilvie! Where are you, scoundrel?”
“Who is Ogilvie?”
“The cat i feed outside my window nightly. I let him in after you lot have gone home.”
“You can’t have cats here.”
“I’m eighty-three. Maybe you still live under your mother’s roof and she says YOU can’t have cats. I pay rent, and I say otherwise.”
“You can’t have a cat.”
“I may as well NOT have a cat, useless as he is. OGILVIE — are you fetching the meds and our gear, or bloody well not?!?”
“I have NO idea what to say here…”
“Then hush, boy, and sit back for the ride. Might pick up a trick or two if you pay attention and are quick about it.”
I just read this to my son, who is on a two-hour school delay.
He laughed, and then said “That’s your third time doing this today, you know that, right?!?”
Marian Allen
October 25, 2021 at 10:40amLOL! If I ever get another cat, I will HAVE to name them Ogilvie. This is the funniest damn comment I ever got. I want to be in the same nursing home as you, m’lud.
RAAckerman@Cerebrations.biz
October 25, 2021 at 11:14amI expected a slew of pumpkins from you this week! Interesting book premise. I will see if my library has a copy.
Marian Allen
October 25, 2021 at 11:27amPut in your order early for your choice of nail art. 🙂
Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt
October 25, 2021 at 12:04pmOften wondered about that novel, but magic isn’t my cup of tea. I am very wedded to the real world. My version, anyway. Enjoy!